The present invention is directed to a mooring device for boats and, more particularly, to a mooring device of simple construction which may be attached or detached from a stationary object using only one hand.
Typically, a simple rope is used to lash a boat to a dock or to a tree, root, etc., when fishing or boating. However, tying-off a rope requires two hands while the fisherman leans over the boat in a usually precarious position. Clearly, this can be dangerous as the fisherman may be knocked off balance and fall into the water. At best, it is a time-consuming process which results in a somewhat unsecure attachment, as the knot may easily become untied.
An early improvement on the above is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,913,797, to Hollis et al. Hollis is directed to a mooring device including a pair of concave arms pivotally connected intermediate the length of the arms. A double pronged point is mounted on one end of each arm. A pulley is disposed on each arm adjacent the points. The pulleys accommodate a rope which extends along one arm, over the pulley of the first arm, over the pulley of the second arm, and back along the second arm. The arms are held in a closed position by a weak spring located at the pivot point. When the arms are opened, they may be placed around a stationary object to secure the boat. When the rope is tensioned by the drift of the boat away from the point of fastening, pressure is imparted through the catenary (between the pulleys) upon the grasp point to further impel it upon the piercing points. However, such an arrangement as disclosed by Hollis et al is relatively complex in construction. Moreover, after repeated extension and return, springs tend to lose their elasticity and need to be replaced. Yet the construction of Hollis et al makes it difficult to replace worn parts.